My Morning SkinCare Routine

20 March 2020 | No Comments

*not a sponsored post.A few years ago, skincare wasn’t exactly something that excited me. I was more fixated on what’s new on the makeup scene. Fast forward to the present and skincare excites me more than ever. Makeup was my first love but as you get older you soon realize that makeup isn’t a permanent solution to your skincare problems. At the age of 29, I can happily say that I love my skin, some days I wake up not liking it because, well I’m a female and like most our bodies are ruled by hormones. I love being able to leave the house makeup free, bare faced & beautiful – I never thought I would utter those words.

Im a sucker when it comes to trying out skincare products, learning about new formulas, seeing how my skin adapts to them & hopefully reaping the benefits. Obviously it hasn’t always worked out in my favor. Some products were just NOT for my skin, as much as it is fun & exciting diving into new skincare, at times I’ve had bad reactions & it’s not to say that it’s the products fault. It’s just my skin not particularly agreeing with it. Through all this trial and error, I have finally found a skincare regime that works for me, I will occasionally stray away from it, if I get the opportunity to try out a new range from a brand but I almost always go back to this and sometimes even add to it. Skincare advice is always tricky, I’m here to share what has worked out for me & hopefully some of you will benefit from these products too.

IT ALL STARTS WITH BABORThe BABOR cleansing foam has been a staple in my skincare routine for quite some time now. It is a mild & gentle cleanser that is suitable for all skin types. As a friend of mine once described, it feels like little angles cleaning your skin. It lathers so well and just feels super luxurious on the face. Every person to whom I’ve recommended this cleanser, loves it. It maintains the hydration in your skin, clears impurities, removes makeup like a bomb & detofixies your skin. What more could you want? The cleanser retails for R622 & can be bought online or at select spas.BABOR CLEANSING FOAM – BUY HERE

ADDING A DASH OF NUXEI never really was one for a toner but the Beauty-Revealing Essence-Lotion from the Aquabella® has kinda changed that. After trying it out for a month, I saw quite a change in the craters, aka enlarged pores, on my forehead & butterfly area. The product is extremely gentle and does not dry out your skin, this is something that I loathe with most toners. They leave my skin feeling tight & in my mind I look like a dried up prune. The essence lotion just gives you that extra freshness & can be seen as an extra step in the cleansing process. The product retails for R310 and can be bought online or at select Woolworths stores.NUXE BEAUTY-REVEALING ESSENCE-LOTION – BUY HERE

SMOOTHING IT OUT WITH NUXEExfoliating should not be done on a daily, please remember this. It’s so easy to strip your skin by doing this. I limit exfoliating to twice a week, once for my morning routine and the second time my evening routine. I find the Nuxe Insta-Masque Exfoliating & Unifying Mask to be a winner for my morning routine. Although it is technically a mask, as you leave it on for two minutes before working it into your skin, I use it as part of my exfoliating step. I don’t like rough exfolitors, they tend to irritate my skin, the insta-masque is enriched with 100% natural micro-grains of silica, which helps gently exfoliate your face. The ultra-sensory gel texture turns into an oil when you start massaging the product into your skin. The main aim is to smooth out your skin & brighten up your complexion. Nuxe also has a purifying smoothing mask as well as a detoxifying glow mask. The Insta-Masque retails for R345 and can be bought online or at select Woolworths stores.NUXE INSTA-MASQUE EXFOLIATING & UNIFYING MASK – BUY HERE

MASKING IT UP WITH BABORAs I like to be a bit extra, on mornings where I exfoliate using the Nuxe Insta-Masque, I love popping a sheet mask on. The new BABOR Maske have stolen my heart. This isn’t just a regular mask, it’s a cool mask. Each mask comes with an ampoule that is added to the fleece mask. Once you combine the mask with the ampoule, the magic begins. The veocel fleece supplies added moisture to skin & it is certified bio-degradable and compostable. There are 5 types of masks that you can get and each has powerful active ingredients that are going to give your skin that extra TLC that it needs. The masks are avalibale online for R210. I know, the price point might shock some but trust me when I say BABOR ampoules are MAGIC!! And I’m sure a few ladies that have tried them can vouch for that. Trust me, you won’t regret it.BABOR MASKE – BUY HERE

BOOSTING MY GLOW WITH NUETROGENAOn days that I do not exfoliate and walk around the house looking like something out of a horror movie, I use the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Supercharged Booster Serum. I’m all about keeping my skin hydrated and glowing and this little product does exactly that. The product is enriched with hyaluronic acid and claims to give you 24H hydration. Well, I’ve seen the difference. It’s non-greasy and doesn’t clog your pores. It’s light weight and adsorbs so nicely into my skin. It leaves a nice radiant glow to my skin & I’m living for that. This serum can be bought from most Clicks & Dischem stores and can also be purchased online for R160.00.NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST SUPERCHARGED BOOSTER SERUM – BUY HERE

DE-PUFFING WITH PHYSICIANS FORMULAWhen Physicians Formula first sent the Refreshment cucumber & bamboo eye de-puffer, I didn’t think much of it. To be honest, I wasn’t even going to try it out BUT because I love Physicians Formula as a brand, I thought I would give it a bash. Turns out, I like it. It freshens up my under eye area making me look a lot less tired. It may be all in my head but I do notice a slight difference in my under eye area after use. It does not help with dark circles, it just helps freshen up your under eye area. I will have to get back to you on pricing as I can’t find the price online however it can be purchased from Dischem stores.

EXTRA HYDRATION WITH DOCTOR BABORI fell in love with the Doctor BABOR hydro-cellular cream after one use. It’s so light wight, non-greasy and hydrating. It gives me all the feels. I don’t like using a heavy moisturizer in the mornings, I save all the heaviness for my night time routine. The triple-action Hyaluronic Acid and HY-3 Peptides hydrates and encourages the skin to produce more of its own Hyaluronic Acid. My skin feels smooth and supple. The moisturizer is suitable for all skin types, so if you are looking for something to give you that extra boost, then this is the cream for you.DOCTOR BABOR HYDRO-CELLULAR CREAM – BUY HERE

PROTECTING & POLISHING OFF WITH SPF!!And the final and most important layer to my skincare routine. SUNBLOCK!!! Ya’ll this is so important. Even in winter! Sunscreen doesn’t just prevent cancer but hyperpigmentation… aging… need I go on? The Sunblock of the day is based on whether or not I will be wearing makeup. If it’s a no makeup day, then I dive in with the BABOR Anti-aging SPF 50 stick. The product is a little thicker but works wonders and doesn’t make me break out, it also doesn’t leave me looking like Casper. It provides UVA & UVB protection and it fits perfectly into my handbag. The stick retails for R510 and can be bought online. BABOR ANTI-AGING HIGH PROTECTION SUN STICK – BUY HEREIf it is more of a makeup day, then I go in with the Avène Sun Anti-Age Sunscreen SPF50+. This cream formula works well under my makeup, no white marks or stickiness and again doesn’t breakout my skin. It protects against free-radicals & combats photo-induced aging. This bad boy retails for R265 from Clicks stores.AVENE SUN ANTI-AGING SUNSCREEN – BUY HERE

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BODY…I know that there are a lot of sensitive Sallys out there. So I just wanted to add my body wash & body cream to the mix. I have always struggled with my skin being highly irritated after a shower and there is nothing worse because having a nice warm shower is the best thing in the world. I would break out in red, sometimes itchy, patches all over my body and it would take a good 30 – 60 minutes for it all to calm down. Adding lotion on after was a BIG NO! The Avene Trixeria Nutrition Gel has changed that and I can not explain how incredible it is to not have to deal with irritable skin. I have been using this for over a year now and I will NEVER go back to anything else. It is slightly more pricey than your usual body wash but I wouldn’t give it up for anything. A 400ml bottle retails for R195 and lasts me a good 2 and a half months. Once I’ve hopped out the shower, I smear my body using the Avene Trixera Nutrition Nutri-Fluid Balm. No irriatation, no red patches, just soft hydrated and happy skin. his balm retails for R245 and also goes a long way. Both items can be purchased at clicks.AVENE TRIXERIA NUTIRTION GEL – BUY HEREAVENE TRIXERIA NUTIRTION NUTRI-FLUID BALM – BUY HERE

And that’s a wrap on my morning skincare routine. What products make the biggest impact on your skin? Let me know in the comment section below!XXX